Allure Exclusive: BeautyBlender Debuts Their Black Pro Sponge

Only two days into New York Fashion Week and we've already spotted the little black item of the season (and no, it's not the Fendi 2jours bag): BeautyBlender, the blending sponge that has become a staple for makeup artists, debuted the BeautyBlender Pro last night. And, as expected, the waiting list is already forming.

Inspired by the "universal beauty color of the world," founder and makeup artist Rea Ann Silva created a black sponge as an homage to her professional peers. Right now, she is only distributing them to professional makeup artists. But she plans on making them available to the public later this year. The sponge is exactly the same as its pink and white counterparts but will signify a more professional, and even masculine, image. "A lot of men in the industry are using the BeautyBlender, or have people who use the BeautyBlender on them," Silva says. "I wanted to make something for them, too." The sponge also displays pigment more prominently and is great for makeup artists working on several clients who want to separate their sponges by color (black, white, and pink).

But why debut the sponge at New York Fashion Week? "It's the center of the universe for my peers," says Silva, who carted a couple thousand sponges with her from Los Angeles. "You will never get more makeup artists in one place, ever, than at New York Fashion Week." We look forward to catching the Pro sponge in action backstage at J Mendel, Rebecca Minkoff, Tocca, and many other shows this season.